Chicken-feeder.



C. GAMPBBLL.

CHICKEN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19, 1911.

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UNITE STAES FFIC.

COLIN CAMPBELL, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DAVID H. GINGRICH, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

CHICKEN-FEEDER. I

earers.

Application filed August 19, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLIN CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chicken-Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in chicken feeders and its object is to provide a device that may be conveniently used independent of any other structure, or may be suspended from the ceiling or upper floor of a coop or like structure; to provide the same with improved feed regulator mechanism and to provide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of a device embodying my invention with portions broken away; Fig. 2 a vertical section of a modification of the same adapted to be suspended from a floor, shown in a plane parallel with the elevation; Fig. 3 an elevation shown at right angles to Figs. 1 and 2 with portions broken away; Fig. 4 a horizontal section on the line Mt of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5a detail of the adjustable pendulum control.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents any suitable hopper preferably of truncated conical form having a discharge opening at the bottom surrounded by a screw threaded boss 1.

2 is a case for the feed regulator having a bottom opening and a detachable top plate 3 provided at the center with a screw threaded boss 4 projecting upward to receive the boss 1 on the hopper. The case 2 is provided with lugs 2 by which it is secured to the top closure 3.

5 is a pendulum rod which near the upper end is bent at right angles forming a horizontal rock shaft 12 extending through the upper part of the case 2 and journaled therein. To limit and adjustably control the movement of the pendulum, a fork 6 is adjustably mounted on the pendulum rod and provided with a thumb screw 7 to hold the same adjusted. This fork embraces a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 644,941.

vertical rib 6 on the side of the case 2 and is spaced apart therefrom to permit the pendulum to swing. By adjusting this fork higher or lower on the pendulum the stroke of the same is permitted to be greater or less as occasion may require to regulate the feed.

On the lower end of the pendulum is a detachable weight having a concave upper surface on which a portion of the feed will accumulate and thus induce the chickens to set the pendulum in motion by attempting to get the feed from ofi the weight. The weight is detachable being held in place by nuts 9 and 10 on the screw threaded end of the pendulum. For smaller chickens the ball may be lowered by adding the extension rod 11 provided with a coupling at the upper end to attach it to the lower end of the pendulum and a screw threaded lower end on which to place the ball 8 and the nuts 9 and 10.

On the rock shaft 12 is fixed a downwardly extended agitator blade 14 the lower edge of which moves in close relation to the concave middle portion of a platform 13 extending across the case 2 beneath the shaft and agitator and spaced apart from the case at each side. The vibration of this agitator 14 causes the feed to be displaced over the edges of the platform 13 whereupon it passes downward and out of the case at the bottom opening thereof. The greater the movement of the pendulum the more rapidly will this feed be displaced.

To prevent too free flow of the feed, ribs 3 project downward from the plate 3 above the edges of the platform 13 and spaced apart therefrom a proper distance to permit the agitator to push the feed through beneath the same and wholly stop the flow of feed when the agitator is not in motion. A bar 22 extends across the bottom opening of the case and suspended therefrom is a conical deflector upon which the feed falls and is scattered in all directions thereby. The pendulum 5 extends through an elongated opening 16 in this deflector and swings therein. A portion of the feed escapes through said opening and falls upon the ball 8 and collects thereon. For inclependent use I prefer a tripod consisting preferably of bar ironone of which (17) forms a single leg; is bent as shown in Fig. 1, and secured by bolts 19 to the lugs 2 The other two legs are integral the bar being bent at the middle at 18 in Fig. 4 the ends being bent downward to form the two other legs of the tripod.

In the event that'the device is to be used within a coop or other like structure the legs can be removed and screws 21 substituted for the bolts 19 whereby the device may be suspended from a floor or other support 20 having an opening for the boss- 4 the hopper being thus conveniently placed above the floor 20, giving convenient access thereto and the space below the device is without any obstruction. I prefer to use rubber or other soft material for the weight 8, the same being not likely to injure the bills of the chickens as will metal or other hard material.

What I claim is 1. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a platform below said opening and spaced apart therefrom, a downwardly extended agitator having its lower edge moving close to the platform to discharge the feed over the edge of the same and a pendulum connected to the agitator to operate the same.

2. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a concave platform below said opening, a rock shaft above the platform, an agitator fixed on the said shaft and traversing close to the said concave platform, a pendulum connected to said shaft and a weight on the pendulum adapted to retain feed thereon.

3. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a case below the hopper also having a bottom opening, a platform in the case below the hopper opening and spaced apart from the same, a rock shaft between the hopper opening and platform, an agitator fixed on the shaft and extending therefrom to near the platform, a .conical deflector suspended below the opening of the case having a slot therein, a pendulum fixed on the rock shaft and swing- I ing in said slot and a weight on the lower end of the pendulum adapted to retain feed escaping through the said slot.

4. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening surrounded by a screw threaded boss, a plate having a central opening and a boss to receive the boss of the hopper, a case attached to the plate and having a bottom opening, a platform in the case spaced apart from the same and having a concave middle portion, a rock shaft journaled in the case, an agitator depending fro-m the shaft and swinging close to said concave portion at the lower edge, a pendulum attached to the rock shaft, a ball on the pendulum adapted to retain feed and Gopies of this patent may be obtained for a conical deflector below the case having a slot in which the pendulum swings.

5. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper, an agitator to regulate the flow of feed from the hopper, a pendulum connected to the agitator to operate the same, a fork adjustably mounted on the pendulum and a fixed rib embraced by the fork and engaged thereby to control the movement of the pendulum.

6. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a case below the hopper also having a bottom opening, a platform in the case intermediate said openings, an agitator swinging close above the platform, a pendulum connected to the agitator to operate the same, a weight on the pendulum adapted to retain feed thereon, a fork adjustably mounted on the pendulum and a rib fixed on the case engaged by the fork to limit the movement of the pendulum.

7 A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a case below the hopper and detachably supporting the same, oppositely projecting lugs on the case, legs engaging the lugs and detachably secured thereto by removable bolts whereby the legs may be removed and the case secured to the under side ofa ceiling floor or other like support, an agitator in the case, a conical deflector below the case and having a slot therein, a pendulum connected to the agitator to operate the same swinging in the slot and a weight on the pendulum adapted to retain feed escaping through the'slot.

8. A chicken feeder, comprising a hopper, a case detachably supporting the hopper and having oppositely projecting perforated lugs, legs detachably secured to the lugs, means for attaching said lugs to the under side of a ceiling or floor, an agitator in the case, a pendulum connected to the agitator to operate the same, and a ball on the pendulum adapted to retain feed thereon.

9. A chicken feeder, comprising a feed regulator, a pendulum to operate the same and a weight on said pendulum composed of soft material substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. A chicken feeder, comprisinga hopper having a bottom opening, a platform below the said opening and spaced apart therefrom, fixed ribs above the edges of the platform and spaced apart therefrom, an agitator above the middle of the platform and moving close thereto and a pendulum to operate the agitator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

COLIN CAMPBELL.

Witnesses: 4

LUTHER V. MoUL'roN, HAROLD O. VAN ANTWERP.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

